JTF Shot My Son At Close Range, Late 3SC Player’s Father Cries Out

[caption id="attachment_12877" align="alignnone" width="650"]Late Joseph Izu[/caption]

Pa Reuben Izu, father of the late Joseph Izu, a Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) defender has said that his son was killed at close range by operatives of the Joint Military Task Force in Ahoada West area of Rivers State.

According to the grieving father, this information was disclosed by eye witnesses in the community.

The 24-year-old Nigeria Premier League defender was reportedly shot dead by a stray bullet on Sunday in the region.

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However the father has now dismissed the report, insisting the JTF killed Joseph despite the late player pleading with them.

Narrating the incident on Monday, Joseph’s father said his son had gone to their hometown in Okaki to check on his wife when the security operatives raided the area and killed him.

He said: “He was in Okaki with his wife before he died. He had planned to come to Port Harcourt where I live with his daughter.

“He went to the jetty area where we usually swim to have a quick shower on Sunday. It was while he was there that the men of the JTF raided the place and everybody ran helter-skelter, including Joseph.

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“When the soldiers saw them running they began shooting sporadically and one of the bullets hit Joseph in the leg. As he was groaning with pain, one of the JTF men walked up to him and shot him a second time at a close range despite Joseph’s plea that he was a footballer on holiday in Okaki.

“His mobile phone and identity card were seized from him and we have not been able to retrieve them till now. The soldiers didn’t allow anybody to help him until he lost a lot of blood. After they left, he was taken to the hospital where he died due to loss of blood.”

He said the matter has since Monday been reported to the police.

According to a resident in the area the defender was shot by the Joint Task Force, who were searching for a suspect in the area.

The resident, who pleaded anonymity stated that Joseph had explained to the operatives that he was not whom they were looking for but the men did not listen and instead shot him at close range.

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He was thereafter rushed to the hospital but died on his way.

“The boy (Joseph) was at the jetty when security personnel in the area accosted him and shot him. They (joint task force team) were in search of a suspect when this happened,” the resident said.

“Joseph told them that he was a footballer, but his appeal fell on deaf ears as he was shot. He was later rushed to a hospital where he died.”

Joseph was part of the 3SC team, which helped the Oluyole Warriors, to a 14th place finish at the just concluded 2015/2016 season of the Nigeria Premier League.

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